INSTALLATION
Club 29 / Approximations, Rasht 29
May 24 to June 24, 2018
Ag Galerie, in collaboration with KAAF Art Institute, Tehran, Iran
Curated by Elham Puriya Mxehr
Photo documentation by Kelly Lycan and Natalie Purschwitz
Club 29
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Club 29 was a temporary platform that sought to reconsider notions of exhibition space. The first part of this research project was accomplished through an exchange between Canadian and Iranian artists. It provided different experiences for viewers and participants throughout the exhibition. Club 29 consists of an installation and discursive, performative programs.
Club 29 reviews the collected narratives and archives of Rasht 29 (Club) (1967-1970, Tehran), the first non-profit art space in Iran founded by architect Kamran Diba, artist Parviz Tanavoli and musician Roxana Saba. The central concept for the club was to create a space for artists from various fields to gather, eat, drink, study and exchange ideas about art and culture. This unique space held a permanent exhibition of works by artists who frequented the club and organized programs such as poetry readings, musical performances, and theatrical rehearsals.
Artists Kelly Lycan, Derya Akay, Vedad Famour Zadeh, Reza Haeri, Sohrab Kashani, Natalie Purschwitz.
Approximations, Rasht 29
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Approximations, Rasht 29, Program Concept and Installation. Including a performance, a workshop and documentation for Club 29. All work from 2018.
For Club 29, Lycan designed the program concept to reference the history of Rasht 29 and to facilitate performance by other artists from Canada and Iran. In response to the intimate rooms at Ag Galerie and the desire to approximate the social activities that took place at Rasht 29, the audience was instructed to occupy all three rooms while sitting on benches lining the gallery walls.
The performances sometimes circulated from room to room in 15-minute intervals. In others, the audience was asked to move from room to room to view a 15-minute performance. Each program was a durational experience, lasting about an hour, not unlike a theatre production or play. The audience engaged with specific objects presented by the installation and program and sometimes participated in the performances designed and presented by Lycan, the other artists and the curator.